A downed power line fell on a chain-link fence in Royal Oak and sent electricity along the fence to a house two doors away, starting a fire that caused extensive damage Sunday.

It was the second house in Royal Oak in less than a week caused by a downed power line.

The two-story bungalow in the 1800 block of Brookwood caught fire sometime after fierce thunderstorms swept through the region about 5:30 p.m., said Royal Oak Fire Chief Chuck Thomas.

“A tree fell down a couple of doors down and fell on the power lines,” he said. “The power lines fell across the fence. The fence was attached to a fence gate that was attached to the side of the house.”

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Firefighters are still investigating the fire, but said that is how the fire is believed to have started.

The fire started by the side door where the gate connected to the house, Thomas said.

“When our guys got there they saw the fence was energized,” he said.

Firefighters determined electricity was traveling through the fence with a device known as a hot stick. Firefighters lifted the latch on the fence gate, which broke the flow of electricity to the house.

No one was injured in the blaze. Thomas said a couple lives at the house but weren’t home when the fire started.

After the fire started, it spread through the walls of the house and into the second story of the home, burning through the roof.

Firefighters were kept busy Sunday in the wake of thunderstorms that rolled through the city and region Sunday.

About 6,000 DTE Energy customers in Royal Oak were still without power Monday morning.

Thomas said Royal Oak firefighters received reports Sunday of more than 30 downed power lines.

A downed power line caused a house fire July 22 in the 4700 block of Mandalay, destroying the home.

The couple who lived at the house weren’t home at the time and no one was injured. A downed power line electrified the house and firefighters were unable to enter the electrified house or spray water on the blaze until nearly an hour after it was reported. Firefighters had to call and wait for a DTE crew to arrive and disconnect power to the downed line.